Abstract: An O-plate compensator comprising an organic liquid crystal polymer, and methods for fabricating the same, are disclosed. The compensator is a uniaxial birefringent thin film with its extraordinary axis oriented obliquely with respect to the surface of the film. (It is noted that the birefringent thin film could be weakly biaxial.) The oblique orientation of the liquid crystal director, which is parallel to the films extraordinary axis, is achieved by casting an organic thin film onto a surface specially prepared for a orienting liquid crystals, such as obliquely deposited SiO, mechanically rubbed alignment agents. The film can either be cast from a solution of the liquid crystal polymer or from a reactive liquid crystal monomer having a nematic phase. Any solvent that may be used during the fabrication process is evaporated off and the organic thin film is held at a temperature in its nematic phase. If a reactive monomer is used, the film is then photopolymerized.

Abstract: The liquid crystal device of the present invention effectively prevents reversion of bright/dark states between a reflective display mode and a transmissive display mode. The liquid crystal device includes a first absorptive polarizer, which receives light from outside; a liquid crystal cell, which receives light emitted from the first absorptive polarizer; a second absorptive polarizer, which receives light emitted from the liquid crystal cell; and a reflective polarizer, which receives light emitted from the second absorptive polarizer. The reflective polarizer has an axis of reflection in a predetermined direction to reflect at least part of light that has been transmitted through the first absorptive polarizer, the liquid crystal cell, and the second absorptive polarizer to be incident on the reflective polarizer.

Abstract: A device, particularly for the instrument panel of a motor vehicle, comprises a liquid crystal display module comprising a multiplicity of parallel inputs connected via a multiplicity of control lines to a multiplicity of outputs of a control module supplied by an electrical power supply. The output of the display module and the electrical power supply are connected to an electrical ground. A branch line has, on the one hand, an input connected to the electrical power supply and an output connected directly to the output of the display module, and has, on the other hand, an impedance considerably lower than the corresponding impedance of each pair formed by a control line and the output of the associated control module. The device is thus protected against electrostatic discharges.

Abstract: A matrix-type display device having a repair layout, particularly, a matrix-type display device which can be repaired in a pixel unit, is provided. Two or more of signal lines such as scanning signal lines, displaying signal lines and auxiliary signal lines and a pixel electrode are overlapped via an insulating layer, so that a defect such as the disconnection of the displaying signal lines and scanning signal lines, the short of the pixel electrode and signal line, and the loss of electrode of a switching element, can be repaired. Here, the layout of the auxiliary gate line and dual gate line can be modified.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device has a pair of oppositely disposed substrates and a liquid crystal having chiral smectic C phase disposed therebetween. The liquid crystal is placed in an alignment state in chiral smectic C phase with smectic molecular layers forming a chevron structure. Under no electric field application, the liquid crystal has an average molecular axis substantially in alignment with the uniaxial alignment axis and/or a bisector of a maximum angle formed between two extreme molecular axes established under electric field application, while under electric field application, the liquid crystal provides an effective tilt angle and a transmittance that continuously changes depending on an electric field applied thereto.

Abstract: When using a LCD panel in a normally-black mode which controls, by using an electric field, the tilt direction of vertically-aligned liquid crystal molecules sandwiched between first and second substrates, the value of a voltage to be supplied to the liquid crystal layer for a black display is set in a range which is larger than 0 V, and, preferably, greater than an optical characteristics changing voltage Vth for the liquid crystal, and enables contrast of 50 or over. With this arrangement, it is possible to increase a response time of the liquid crystal when switching a vertically-aligned LCD from the OFF to ON states.

Abstract: An STN liquid crystal element, formed to sandwich a nematic liquid crystal 6 twist-aligned at an angle ranging from 180 degrees to 270 degrees between a first substrate 1 having a first electrode and a second substrate 2 having a second electrode, is disclosed. A polarizing film is disposed outside the second substrate of the STN liquid crystal element through a retardation film or a twisted retardation film, a cholesteric liquid crystal polymer sheet is disposed outside the first substrate through a quarter-wave film, and a light absorbing film is disposed outside the cholesteric liquid crystal polymer sheet, to thereby form a liquid crystal display device which enables metallic color display.

Abstract: A small-sized, simple and inexpensive electronic part protecting structure and process enabled to prevent the reconstruction of electronic parts by preventing a case from being opened. Into a plurality of through holes formed in the surface of one case, there are loosely fitted projecting pieces which are provided on the surface of the other case. The projecting pieces are provided at their leading ends with deformed portions which are made so larger than the through holes that they can not be restored. By these deformed portions, the cases cannot be easily opened to prevent the electronic parts protected between the cases from being easily extracted while preventing the reconstruction. The case having the projecting pieces is made of a metal or resin. The through holes are formed in recesses of the case surface. The cut-off the deformed portions is detected and reported. Into the through holes formed in the surface and back protecting cases, on the other hand, there is inserted a protecting pin member.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device with an in-plane switching mode capable of preventing color shift occurrence is disclosed. A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, includes counter and pixel electrodes for driving liquid crystal formed on the same substrate. Here, when a voltage is applied to the counter and pixel electrodes, both a first electric field of a parallel direction and a second electric field of a vertical direction are formed between the electrodes.

Abstract: A liquid crystal panel incorporating a chips on glass (COG) system has a significantly increased field area and greatly reduced glass substrate size because driving integrated circuit chips for applying signals to electrode pads connected to pixels and flexible printed circuit films for applying electrical signals to the driving integrated circuit chips are overlappedly mounted on a lower glass substrate.

Abstract: An active matrix type liquid crystal display device of the transverse electric field system, wherein display pixels are constituted on a substrate by scanning signal lines, video signal lines, pixel electrodes and active elements in order to obtain an image having good visual field angle characteristics and a high display quality with less residual image. A liquid crystal alignment film is formed directly or via an insulating layer on the substrate. The substrate is opposed to another substrate having a color filter forming a liquid crystal alignment film, and the liquid crystal layer is held by the two substrates. The electrodes and the active elements are so constituted that an electric field can be applied to the liquid crystal layer substantially in parallel with the substrate. The electrodes and the active elements are connected to an external control means capable of arbitrarily controlling the applied electric field depending upon a display pattern.

Abstract: A ridged reflector (10) for use in an optical display (12) comprises a polymeric layer (70) having a ridged surface (32) and an opposite surface (34) opposite the ridged surface (32). The ridged surface (32) includes a series of ridges (36). Each of said ridges (36) has a first face (42) and a second face (44) intersecting the first face (42). The first face (42) is oriented at a first angle (56) relative to a plane parallel to the opposite surface (34). A reflective metallic layer (68) overlies at least the first faces (42) of the polymeric layer (70). The first angle (56) is adapted to reflect and biasedly focus light obliquely intercepting the first face (56) into a radiation pattern about a normal axis (38) extending orthogonally from the opposite surface (34). The first face (42) may be curved to tailor a shape of the radiation pattern.

Abstract: An optical alignment apparatus and method are disclosed, the optical alignment apparatus, comprising the steps of: a light unit for generating a parallel beam; a beam-splitter for beam-splitting the parallel beam; and a beam regulator for changing the beam split from the beam-splitter into a polarized beam and irradiating the polarized beam to the alignment film on the LCD substrate.

Abstract: A connecting part of an outer circuit in a liquid crystal display panel includes a substrate and a plurality of pads on the substrate, where the pads are to be connected to the outer circuit. A first connecting wire is connected to one of said pads, the wire being arranged in a first direction. A second connecting wire is connected to another one of said pads, the second connecting wire being arranged in a second direction. The first and second connecting wires are formed to minimize overlapped areas over the pads at crossing points between the first and second connecting wires and the pads. The first connecting wire is bent toward the second direction at a point and connected to the driving circuit.

Abstract: A color filter is disposed on a switching element array substrate. The color filter is composed of a plurality of kinds of color elements and an aperture. Two of the filter elements are overlapped at one end portion thereof. Each of the filter elements is covered with a pixel electrode. The pixel electrode is connected to the switching element through the aperture. This structure reduces electric coupling between the pixel electrode and the gate and signal lines. Optimum conditions among the overlapped width, and the aperture diameter and location are set to prevent the filter element from peeling off the array substrate so that the production yield can be significantly improved.

Abstract: A directional display comprises a display arrangement such as a spatial light modulator and a rear parallax barrier illuminated by a suitable backlight. The spatial light modulator and the parallax barrier cooperate to produce Fresnel diffraction which results in spatially non-uniform brightness across viewing windows of the display. Also, where the spatial light modulator has pixels of non-constant vertical aperture, further variations in the intensity profile at the windows occurs. In order to compensate for this, a mask is provided, for instance between the parallax barrier and the backlight. The mask cooperates with the parallax barrier to produce an intensity pattern having variations which are the inverse of the variations in intensity pattern produced by the parallax barrier and the spatial light modulator. The variations are superimposed and substantially cancel each other out so as to result in viewing windows which have substantially uniform light intensities.

Abstract: First, a photosensitive resin film is formed on a substrate. Then, the resin film is patterned by photolithography into a collection of quadrilateral prisms that are arranged discretely. Then, the individual quadrilateral prisms are deformed so as to be undulated gently by performing a heat treatment. Thereafter, a resin film is applied to the collection of deformed quadrilateral prisms, whereby flat gap portions between the discrete quadrilateral prisms are filled in and curved surfaces are formed there. Finally, a metal film is formed on the collection of gently undulated quadrilateral prisms.

Abstract: Active matrix display devices having improved opening and contrast ratios utilize light blocking lines to improve display contrast ratios yet position the light blocking lines on the same level of metallization as the gate lines to thereby limit parasitic capacitive coupling between the data lines and the pixel electrodes. The light blocking lines are also positioned on only one side of the data lines so that improvements in the display's opening ratio can also be achieved. The light blocking lines are preferably patterned so that no overlap occurs between a display's data lines and the light blocking lines. The elimination of overlap reduces the step height in the display's pixel electrodes and thereby reduces the extent of disclination of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal material extending opposite the pixel electrodes.

Abstract: An antiferroelectric liquid crystal display apparatus free from burn-in and achieving high display quality is provided by providing means for preventing pixel brightness from varying between pixels continuously held in an ON (bright) state and pixels continuously held in an OFF (dark) state. Aging processing is performed to saturate the brightness level of pixels into a stable state and thereby prevent the occurrence of a white brightening phenomenon. For this purpose, the brightness at a no voltage condition (base brightness) is set to a normalized level for all pixels in the liquid crystal panel that are required to exhibit uniform display performance. Further, temperature variations in the liquid crystal panel are eliminated to stabilize the brightness level and thereby prevent the occurrence of a white darkening phenomenon. Means is also provided for repeatedly performing normalization processes automatically or manually.

Abstract: An in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device comprises a substrate, a pixel region, a common bus line, a thin film transistor, a data electrode, a passivation layer over the data electrode and the thin film transistor, and a common electrode. The pixel region lies on the substrate. The common bus line is aligned in the pixel region. The thin film transistor is coupled to the pixel region and the pixel regions comprises a gate electrode and a gate insulator having a portion overlying the gate electrode. The data electrode lies over the gate insulator and has a portion overlying the common bus line to form a first storage capacitor. The passivation layer overlies the data electrode and the thin film transistor. The common electrode overlies the passivation layer and has a portion overlying the data electrode to form a second storage capacitor.